WHY:
As Cinco de Mayo has become a joyous day for many Angelenos to honor and celebrate Mexico’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, it also honors the heritage and pride of Mexicans throughout North America. Unfortunately, it is also a night with unnecessary dangers when community members decide to drink and drive. Party hosts, bars and restaurants this year are encouraged to plan and promote designating sober drivers in advance – before the ‘Fiesta’ begins.

To ensure a safe and festive Cinco de Mayo, the Los Angeles Police Department recommends the following tips:

Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin

Designate a sober driver

Leave your car keys at home

Call a taxi, call a friend or family member, or use public transportation to ensure you get home safely

Call 911 if you see a possible drunk driver on the road; and

Take the car keys away from someone who is about to drive impaired and assist them in getting home safely

The deterrent effect of sobriety checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes. Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.

Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Officers will also check drivers for proper licensing and strive to delay motorists only momentarily. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving. Those caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

In 2011, nearly 10,000 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher. In California, this deadly crime led to 774 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver. “Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed 38 lives and injured 3,014 of our friends and neighbors,” said Sergeant Karmody, LAPD Traffic Coordination Section.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. Based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

“DUI Checkpoints have been an essential part of the phenomenal reduction in DUI deaths that we witnessed since 2006 in California,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “But since the tragedy of DUI accounts for nearly one third of traffic fatalities, Los Angeles needs the high visibility enforcement and public awareness that checkpoints provide.”

Funding for the checkpoints and saturation patrols are provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the NHTSA. We can all help make our streets safer, please report Drunk Drivers – Call 911.